Liverpool's 2019/20 Premier League celebrations were severely hampered by the global coronavirus pandemic, with Lee Dixon detailing just how strange the experience was
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool holds the Premier League Trophy aloft along side Mohamed Salah as they celebrate winning the League during the presentation ceremony of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Liverpool had to lift the Premier League title in an empty stadium back in July 2020
(Image: undefined via Getty Images)
Lee Dixon has recalled trying to create an atmosphere as Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy in 2019/20. When Liverpool claimed their first league crown since the league's inception under Jurgen Klopp five years ago, celebrations were tempered due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Dixon was present at a fan-less Anfield for the July 2020 trophy presentation, following social distancing protocols. And speaking on the Seaman Says podcast, brought to you by Betway, he explained: "The last time they won it, I was there doing the presentation during Covid with no fans there.
"They set the press up on the halfway line and they were on the Kop getting the [trophy]. We were all waiting for the interviews and me and Graham Le Saux, working for NBC, were standing there with these mics.
"And I said, 'We're gonna have to make an atmosphere here.' So, we're all trying to pretend there were fans there and do different voices. It was terrible. But you know, they deserve an Anfield reception. They certainly do."
The 2019/20 campaign faced an extended hiatus between March 13 and June 17, 2020, resulting in the season concluding later than usual on July 26.
The remaining nine fixtures also played out in empty stadiums, a measure taken to curb the spread of Covid-19. Reflecting on the surreal experience of Liverpool's Premier League victory without fans at the time, club captain Jordan Henderson wrote in his autobiography: "I wanted the fans to be there and I felt cheated for them but I felt cheated myself, too.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Lee Dixon, pundit for NBC Sport during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford on August 22, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Lee Dixon was present at Liverpool's 2019/20 trophy lift
"The experience of winning this prize that the club had been chasing for so long wasn't going to be the same without them. I had to keep reminding myself how lucky we were just to be playing at all.
"You've got people dying, people stuck in the house for months on end and I'm disappointed because the fans aren't there and the atmosphere isn't better? Come on.
"You feel bad for thinking that. But Liverpool fans are obsessed with football and they had waited 30 years to win a league title and for them not to be able to be there to share it with the players was hard. It was hard for the players and the fans because it meant so much."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JUNE 25: Football Fans celebrate at Anfield Stadium as Liverpool FC win the Premier League title after Chelsea beat Manchester City tonight ensuring Liverpool FC can no longer be overtaken on points on June 25, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool have won 18 league championships already with the last title win in 1989-90 under Kenny Dalglish. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Liverpool fans celebrated outside Anfield during the coronavirus pandemic
Despite recommendations to remain indoors as much as possible during the lockdown, legions of Liverpool supporters congregated at Anfield to jointly revel in the team's 19th league triumph on the very night they were confirmed as champions – thanks to Chelsea's 2-1 victory against Manchester City on June 25.
After a five-year wait, Liverpool finally had their much-anticipated celebrations at Anfield on Sunday, marking the end of their 2024/25 season against Crystal Palace, broadcast live by Sky Sports. The Reds clinched the 2024/25 Premier League title with four matches to spare after thrashing Tottenham 5-1 last month, with their following fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, and Palace serving merely as a victory lap of the UK, with the pressure of competition lifted from their shoulders.
Euphoria erupted around Anfield as Arne Slot's team raised the Premier League trophy before a capacity crowd, compensating for previous missed opportunities for festivity. Following the excitement of victory, players and staff are poised for an open-top bus tour through Liverpool on Monday, with expectations running high for hundreds of thousands of supporters to celebrate along the route.
The festivities are set to begin at Allerton Maze at 2.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday, concluding on Blundell Street, with the victory parade anticipated to span three to five hours. Liverpool City Council's leading figure for culture and public health, Councillor Harry Doyle, said of the event (via the Mirror): "Bank Holiday Monday is set to be a day to remember for the whole city, and with an event of this scale, a bit of planning goes a long way.
"That's why we've created a clear, easy FAQs, to make sure everyone has the key information they need to feel confident, stay safe, and enjoy the day in their own way." The Council also warned crowds against bringing flares or operating drones during the procession.